Prix Joel-Champetier 2020

Christian Léourier

The fifth annual Prix Joel-Champetier has been awarded to Christian Léourier for his short story “Ismaël, Elstramadur et la destin.”

The award recognizes non-Canadian short story authors who write in French, in the fields of sf and fantasy. 

The winner receives € 1000, and his story will be published in Solaris 217 in the winter of 2021.

This year, the award jury was made up of Francine Pelletier (author), Pascal Raud (author, translator and literary director of Solaris), Philippe Turgeon (assistant literary director at Alire) and Élisabeth Vonarburg (author and translator).

The jury commended Léourier’s short story for its “smooth writing, without a hitch, and a controlled narration that plays with ease in several registers. This is a tale from the future in which the tropes of science fiction skillfully blend in with a very low-key fantasy vibe.”